NEW ORLEANS – Things were supposed to be better for Pau Gasol this season. Dwight Howard left for Houston, a blow to the Lakers balanced by the belief that it would open things up for Gasol in the post.

But after shooting 4 of 23 in the past two games, Gasol was left shaking his head and pursing his lips Friday after a 96-85 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

“It bothers me,” Gasol said. “Frustrates me. But I’m going to continue to try, we’re going to continue to try as a team, as a unit.”

Gasol finished 9 points and 11 rebounds. But one night after holding Howard in check in the most encouraging win of the season, the 33-year-old center was steamrolled by second-year Pelicans star Anthony Davis, who finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks.

“Special player …” Gasol said of Davis, “he’s just athletic, able to block a shot on one end and get to the other end of a layup or an and-1.”

Gasol’s struggles — he is shooting just 36.8 percent from the field — are magnified by the absence of not only Kobe Bryant, who still has no timetable to return from a torn Achilles’ tendon, but also that of Steve Nash, who did not play in the second game of a back-to-back.

“Pau is so talented, I don’t think anyone needs to worry about this,” said Lakers forward/center Chris Kaman, who led the Lakers with 16 points. “He’s one of the most skilled big men I’ve ever had the opportunity to play with. … He just needs to continue to fight and play hard, and I’m not even worried about it.”

It wasn’t just Gasol who struggled. The Lakers live and die by the 3-pointer, leading the league with 184 attempts through seven games, but their 39.7 percentage is ninth in the league.

In Houston, the Lakers were 16 of 35 from 3, but Friday they made just 6 of 19 and missed seven of their first eight.

Friday was celebrated as a rebirth of basketball in the Crescent City, with NBA commissioner David Stern in attendance, as well as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

For the Lakers, the theme is resetting then restarting: A big win in Houston followed by a demoralizing loss in the Big Easy.

Coach Mike D’Antoni called out his team as lacking “intensity at the beginning” and at the end not playing “with the right energy.”

“They just settle into kinda mediocrity,” D’Antoni said, “and that’s where we are right now.”

Despite D’Antoni’s dissatisfaction, the Lakers were in a position to win. They cut the score to 84-81 with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter on a pair of free throws by Nick Young, but after that the offense stagnated. On their next five possessions, the Lakers went turnover, blocked shot, turnover, turnover, blocked shot.

The Pelicans, who finished 27-55 a year ago, went on a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.

X-factor

Xavier Henry’s return to the city in which he most recently played was not greeted with the same fanfare as, say, a recent Lakers game against a high-profile former player.

Still, Henry’s return to New Orleans was greeted with interest, if only because the player he has proved himself to be with the Lakers is much more impressive than the one who averaged 3.9 points per game last year for the then-Hornets.

“We always felt like he could play,” Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. “He could never get himself healthy. It’s good to see somebody looks like they found a home, he looks more comfortable on the floor than he did here. I’m happy for him.”

Henry made the regular-season roster after an impressive training camp and scored 22 points in the Lakers season-opening win against the Clippers. He has started twice and is the Lakers’ fourth leading scorer with 10.8 points per game.

Williams also had previously coached Chris Kaman, with the Hornets, and guard Steve Blake, as an assistant in Portland.

“I’m glad those guys are in a good spot, furthering their careers,” Williams said. “Certainly had a lot of good time with Steve Blake in Portland, played a lot of one-on-one together, and spent a lot of time off the court together. So it’s good to see him playing well.”

Turnovers pile up

A night after committing 24 turnovers in the win against the Rockets, the Lakers on Friday committed six of their 14 in the fourth quarter.

It’s a recurring problem, as the faster-paced Lakers are fifth in the league in total turnovers.

“A big key I think is just everybody being patient and continuing to move,” Kaman said. “There’s going to be mistakes, it’s part of basketball.”

Bill Oram covers the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and NBA for the Southern California News Group. He joined the Orange County Register staff in 2013 after previously covering the Utah Jazz for the Salt Lake Tribune. During most players' and coaches' media sessions, he is the guy in the background wearing a University of Montana Grizzlies cap.

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